Rolling mill of the pilgrim-step type for the manufacture of metallic tubes



Oct. 3, 1933. L. TSCHULENK ROLLING MILL OF THE PILGRIM STEP TYPE FOR THEMANIjFACTURE OF METALLIC TUBES Filed June 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 3ROLLING MILL OF THE PILGRIM STEP TYPE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLICTUBES L. TSCHULEN K Filed June 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 NM Wm R u z j 1n. u v u 1, R K n n. i N u m 8, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 0 0m 40 8 M ||lllll III. N .lzl l L L. TSCHULENK Filed June Oct. 3, 1933. ROLLING MILLOF THE PILGRIM' STEP TYPE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLIC TUBES Oct. 3,1933. L. TSCHULENK 1,928,741

ROLLING MILL OF THE PILGRIM STEP TYPE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF METALLICTUBES Filed June 8, 1931 4 Sheets Sheet 4 26 I .To/m/ Patented Oct. 3,1933 ROLLING mu.

ma non 'rrrr: TALLIC 'rcass OF THE PILGRm-STEP MANUFACTURE OF ME-Leopold Tschulenk, liiahrisch-Ostrau-Witkowitz, CzechoslovakiaApplication June 8, 1931, Serial No. 543,058, and

in Germany May 20, 1930 4 Claims. (CL 80-14) My invention relates to arolling machine or mill of the pilgrim-step type for manufacturing swingmetallic tubes or pipes, and more particularly to a rolling mill of thesaid character provided with oscillating or reciprocating rollingsegments adapted to be operated hydraulically,

and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangementsherein described and claimed.

It has been suggested heretofore to use, in connection'with rollingmills having oscillating rolling members of segmental shape, pressureliquid cylinders disposed horizontally in the rear of the supportingstructure for the driving purpose.

In contradistinction to the state of the art as above recited thepressure liquid cylinders of the rolling constructed in accordance withthe present invention are arranged in that vertical plane of the rollsupporting standard or structure in which the points of connectionbetween the driving means and the oscillatory rolls or roll segments aresituated.

The advantages resulting from such construction and arrangement reside,in the first line, in a very compact form requiring butlittle space foraccommodation and ensuring best possible access to all parts-of therolling mill for control, repair and particularly respecting conveyanceand manipulation of the work under treatment. A further advantageresides in the complete positive closure or consumption of forces in theroll supporting standard during operation so that large encumbering andexpensive foundations need not be provided for the reception of freeforces.

Rolling mills of the pilgrim-step type as hitherto constructed for themanufacture of tubes and pipes are almost exclusively provided withrevolving rolls and correspondingly revolving power engines, and theeificiency thereof is limited to the manufacture of tubes of a diameterbelow or not exceeding beyond about 20.inches since otherwise, that isto say, in case of larger cross-sectional areas the mill would be toobulky and the expenses to be incurred for the construction anddefrayed'for the operation of such a huge machinery would be excessiveand not repay.

As contrasted with the known rolling mills of the pilgrim-step type arolling mill constructed in accordance with the present invention can begiven any desirable dimensions for rolling tubes of practically largestcross-sectional areas, because its weight in general is far inferior tothat a of a corresponding mill provided with revol rolls and, ineconomical regards, the operation or drive by means of a pressureliquid'ls much less expensive than a drive through the agency of largeslow running electromotors.

Another important feature of my invention is the provision of a veryshort, reciprocating mandrel whereof the length is actually only alittle in excess of the developed calibre or arenate surface of therolling segments. Due to this feature the hollow blank to be rolled willnot cool down so rapidly as in a mill as hitherto constructed andprovided with the usual mandrels of a length more or less in excess ofthat of the work under treatment.

These and other features of my invention will more fully appear in thefollowing description or will be obvious therefrom. In the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification and showing, for p p sesof exemplification, a preferred form and manner in which the inventionmay be embodied and practised, but without limiting the claimedinvention to such illustrative instance, and in which more than tworolling ments or members are provided in one plane, although theadvantages inherent in the present invention will also be secured evenin case of providing two working members only.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate likeparts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section of a rolling millconstructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Figure1,

- Figure 3 is a view in full vertical cross-section taken on the line3-3 and in half-section taken on the line e-,f of Figures 1 and 2,

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section on the line 4-4 of Figures 1 and2,

Figure 5 is a view in vertical section on the line 5-5 of Figures land2,

Figure 6 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of 1 and 2,

Figure 7 is a view in vertical section on the line 7-7 of Figures 1 and2 and Figures 8 and 9 are sectional views of the device for turning andfeeding the hollow blank, supplementary to Figure 7, but shown on anenlarged scale.

In Figure 1 the operating parts of the rolling mill are shown in theposition they occupy at the moment of the beginning of the rollingoperation while Figure 2 illustrates the position thereof at the timeimmediately upon the insertion of the big hollow blank 1. In order toillustrate the advantages of the invention in a best possible way,

the embodiment including the provision or foursegmentalrollingmembers2adaptedtooscillate or reciprocate on thePilgrim-step principle and -mountedinacommonverticalplanehasbeenshownin' the drawings. The said segmental rolling members 2 are shapedto form or provided with lever-like extensions 3. pivotailyco'nnectedwith short pressure-rods'4 which in turn are pivotally mounted inhydraulic plungers 5 so that the latter will operate to reciprocate therods 4 and thereby impart motion to the rolling members 2. Thisarrangement isoi particular advantage inasmuch as any auxiliary meansfor guidingtherods4maybedispensedwith. For the purpose of returning theworking plungers 5 and the rolling members 2 back to the outer orinitial positions, separate returning plungers 6 are provided. The saidauxiliary plungers 6 disposed in pressure-water cylinders. 11 areconnected with the working plungers 5 by means or 'crouheads 7 and pullrods 8; The'iour oscillating or reciprocating rolling members 2 aresupported in bearings provided in the standard 9 and the hydrauliccylinders 10 and 11 of the working plungers 5 and the returning plungers6, v respectively, are also connected or integr l with the standard a.;-In order to prevent the latter 'irom being detrimentally aiiected bybending stresses during the rolling operation, the diemetricallyopposite pressure-water cylinders are interconnected in pairs, by meansof strong powertul rods 12. The rolling members 2 are con- Enected witha carriage 14 by means of horizontal .-.rods 13 so that the carriagewill co-operate to reciprocate simultaneously with the rolling mem--.bers 2 the connection of the latter with the said carriage alsoinvolving a positive interconnection -oi' the said rolling members'andconsequently a 'positiv'einterdependence respecting the moments -oi thesame. The carriage 14 serves for the re-' ception and support of thehollow, cylindrical blank 1 prior to and .during the rolling operation..-In the-rolling mills o! the pilgrim-step type as =hitherto constructedor suggested, the rolling mandrel is'usu'allyoia greater-length thantheblanks to be rolled. The mandrel '15 provided in .a rolling millconstructed according to the present invention, however, iscomparatively short. and, as regards its length a littlein excess onlyor thelengthoithecalibre orrollingsuriaceoi the. rolling members 2.A-turther advantage of the mandrel 15 resides in its positiveconnectionwith the rolling members 2'so'as to'be compelled toreciprocate simul with the oscillating.

The operation of the rolling-mill hereinbeiore "describedisas-followst AThetubularblank iisplacedonthecarriage 14 at a. point betweenthe'standard' 9 and the withdrawn mandrel 15 with the abutting bushing,30 therein likewisewithdrawmas will be seen in Figure 2. The innerdiamctcr'ofthe blank 1 ua-little greater than that otthe finished tube.or theouter diameteroi the mandrel 15.'The latter is ilrmlyattachedtoarod 16, as usually, which is hollow and adapted to be cooled by meansof am suitable cooling agent such as water. The'flrstoperationnowistopushthe mandrel -15by meansotitsrod16,!orwardsthroughtheblanksoasi'obringthesametotheirontoithe blank and into its workingposition between the rolling members2aswill-beseen inFigure 1.

The operation of advancing and withdrawing the rod 16-with themandrel'iii maybe accom- PM with. t aid aw ppr priate In the embodimentshown the operation is etiected by means of a double-acting hydrauliccylinder 17 shown in Figures 1 and 2 with parts broken away whichhowever will be sell-suggesting to the men of the art. v

The mandrel 15. is connected with the carriage 14 by means of the rod 16due to the lockingot the latter through the agency of a locking slide18, see Figure 6, so as to positively partake of the reciprocatorymovement or the rolling-members a reversible electromotor 19, see Figure6, adapt: ed to operate a worm-gear 20 and a threaded stem 21, beingprovided for raising and lowering the said locking slide 18.

Obviously after each working stroke or movement and subsequent back-lashor return movement of the rolling members 2 the tubular blank 1 must beadvanced or fed a corresponding length by the mandrel 15 andsimultaneously turned about its axis for at best degrees. To this end Iprovide an electromotor 22'which, through the agency of a suitablegearing including a worm 23, a worm-wheel 24 and a spur gear wheel 25,will transmit motion to two toothed wheels 26 keyed to the spindles 27and therefore, adapted to impart motion to the latter. The nuts 28engaging about the threaded spindles 27 are firmly secured to orintegral with the carriage 14. The successive rotations of the spindles27 cause the crosshead 29 to be displaced within the carriage 14relatively to the standard 9 by a corresponding length. I

Mounted in the cross-head 29 is the abutting bushing 30 which is adaptedto advance together with the advancing cross-head 29 so as to feed thetubular blank 1 on the mandrel towards the rolling members 2 by acorresponding length or -s tep. 'For the purpose of compensating for thelittle diiterences in speed between the cross-head 29 and the, abuttingbushing 30 during the working stroke or operation of the-rolling members2,

.due to the unequal pressures of the latter-on the tubular blank, ayielding means such as a coiled spring 31, as shown in Figure 1, may beprovided.

Keyed to the threaded spindles 27 are pinions- 32 which are adapted totransmit rotary motion to the gear 33. The latter is nrmly connected orI integral with the bushing 34 through which the elongation or rear end35-01 the mandrel rod 16 passes. Mounted in the section 35 of the rod16125 .are sliding keys 36, so that upon rotation of the bushing 34 therod section 35, the rod 16 and the mandrel 15 attached to the latterwill be caused to rotate at the same time.

- Similar sliding keys 37 are provided 16 and adapted to cause theabutting bushing 30 to also rotate simultaneously with the rod 16. Therolling mandrel, when rotated, in turn causes the blank to also rotate,due to frictional engagement, sifnce immediately upon the beginning ofthe roll- 135 ing operation, the blank will be compressed by the rollingmembers to firmly adhere to the mandrel.. Preferably I insert a suitableball-bearing 38 in the cross-head 29 between the annular rearend flangethereof and the step-wise rotating'ym coiled spring 31, in order toreduce friction.

. It will beseen that the described arrangementsafl'ord the possibilityof .teeding the. tubular blank after each working stroke of the rollingmembers 2, by a corresponding or adequate length and turn-"1 ing theblank atthesametime'by apartialrotation. Obviously the blank willthus beled and turnedalwaysatterthesamehasbeeniullyre--ieesediromthepressureoitherollingmembers.

.. operation described repeats as 16 cntherod as required for completelyrolling the blank to the shape and size of a finished tube or, in otherwords, until the finished tube is extrudedfrom the mandrel, when thelocking slide 18 will be raised by the motor 19 and the rod 16 togetherwith the mandrel 15, the rod section 35 and the hydraulic cylinder 17will be withdrawn into the position shown in Figure 2, so that the placeor space for the insertion of a further blank will be clear for a nextrolling operation.

The rear section 35 of the rod participates in the reciprocatorymovement of the carriage 14, as already intimated hereinbefore. Now inorder to prevent the reciprocating rod section 35, while the mandrel 15is in its working position, from moving the piston rod 39 of thehydraulic-cylinder 17 idly to and fro I provide a somewhat enlarged bore40 in the extremity of the rod section 35. The length of this enlargedbore 40 corresponds to the length of the travel or stroke of thecarriage, so that the head 41 of the piston rod 39 of the hydrauliccylinder can remain at test during the rolling operation properlyspeaking.

In order to facilitate the stepwise rotation of the tubular blank 1, Iprovide a system of rollers 42 in the carriage 14, as shown in Figure 4,adapted to be adjusted to conform to the external diameter of the blank1.

In the embodiment shown separate working plungers 5 and separatereturn-plungers 6 are provided for the reason that in case of leakagethe stuffing-boxes can be readjusted or the packing thereof renewed, orfilled up in a ready and rapid manner in order to remove the defectwithout unduly interrupting thereby the operation of the mill.

Obviously, however, it is possible to substitute for each single-actingplunger a hydraulic cylinder with a double-acting piston in connectionwith each rolling member 2. On the other hand in case of providingworking and return-plungers as shown in the embodiment described, thepressure rods 4 are not absolutely necessary and may be dispensed with,and also in case of substituting said hydraulic cylinders for theplungers as above contemplated, there would be no absolute necessity ofproviding such pressure rods which rather might be replaced, if desiredor preferred, by any other appropriate or equivalent constructionalmeans.

I am also aware that various other changes in the arrangement,construction and combination of the several parts of my improved rollingmill can be made and substituted for those herein shown and describedwithout in the least departing from the nature and principle of myinvention. I would, therefore, have it understood that I' do not limitmyself thereto, but hold myself at liberty to make such departurestherefrom as fairly fall within the true spirit and scope of myinvention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A rolling mill of the pilgrim-step type for the manufacture ofmetallic tubes having big diameters comprising a supporting frame, aplurality of oscillating rolling elements with their working facesshaped according to a part of the inner surface of a torus, means forhydraulically operating the said rolling elements including hydrauliccylinders, the latter being carried by the supporting frame injuxtaposition to each other, all of their longitudinal middle-axesradiating outwardly from the axis of the mandrel and being contained inthe same vertical plane, the latter being situated at right angles tothe axis of the mandrel and in front of the'blank.

2. A rol1ing.mill of the pilgrim-step type for the manufacture ofmetallic tubes having big diameters comprising a supporting frame, aplurality of oscillating rolling members with their working faces shapedaccording to a part of the inner surface of a torus, means forhydraulically operating the said rolling members including hydrauliccylinders with plungers and short pressure-rods, connecting the saidplungers with the rolling members, the cylinders and plungers beingcarried by the supporting frame, all of their longitudinal middle-axesradiating outwardly from the axis of the mandrel and being contained inthe same vertical plane, the. latter being situated at right angles tothe axis of the mandrel and in front of the blank. I

3. A rolling mill of the pilgrim-step type for the manufacture ofmetallic tubes having big diameters comprising a supporting frame, aplurality of oscillating rolling members with their working faces shapedaccording to a part of the inner surface of a torus, a mandrel being alittle longer than the working face of the rolling members, the latterbeing attached to a rod connected with a carriage for the reception andstepwise feed of the tubular blank, the carriage being arranged behindthe supporting frame and connected with the rolling members byconnecting rods, the'mandrel and the carriage being arranged topositively follow the reciprocating movement of the rolling members,means for hy draulically operating the rolling members includinghydraulic cylinders, the longitudinal middleaxes of the same radiatingoutwardly from the axis of the mandrel and being contained in the samevertical plane, the latter being situated at right angles to the axis ofthe mandrel and in front of the blank.

4.' A rolling mill of the pilgrim-step type for the manufacture ofmetallic tubes having big diameters comprising a supporting frame, aplurality of oscillating rolling members with their workingfaces shapedaccording to a part of the inner surface of a torus, a mandrel being alittle longer than the working face of the rolling members and beingattached to a displaceable rod, the latter being connected to a carriagefor the reception and stepwise feed of the tubular blank by a lookingslide, the slide being arranged behind the supporting frameand connectedwith the rolling members by connecting rods, the mandrel and thecarriage being arranged to positively follow the reciprocating movementof the rolling members, the longitudinal middle-axes of the sameradiating outwardly from the axis of the mandrel and being contained inthe same vertical plane, the latter being situated at right angles tothe axis of the mandrel and in front of the blank.

- LEOPOLD TSCHULENK.

